As many of you know I am a true fan of buying my clothes recycled from either charity shops in select areas or designer consignment stores around the globe and there are many trust me, so in this post I wanted to try and inspire those who may not have given this idea some thought yet.

So what does the term fast fashion actually mean?

Fast fashion refers to a phenomenon in the fashion industry whereby the production processes are accelerated in order to get new trends into store as quickly and cheaply as possible and today it is not uncommon for fast fashion retailers to introduce new garments multiple times in a single week.

It is a fact if you are buying clothes and only wearing them once or even for one season before throwing them in the bin, you are helping destroy the planet. According to a 2013 report, the global fashion industry produced 150 billion garments in 2010 and since then it has only gotten worse making the fashion industry the second most polluting industry on Earth and the primary culprit is fast fashion.

I am a great believer that if something is made with love from high quality, ethically sourced fabrics manufactured and made by experts paid the going rate, then it should last a lifetime if it is looked after and cared for. Why would anyone with a brain or a conscience even consider buying a top for one night out before binning it into landfill, Made in China or Bangladesh, by people being exploited and underpaid, places with the worst pollution and human rights records, all destroying the planet in the process?

Well I guess the answer to that lies with us the consumer who I am sure if we all really thought about what we are doing when we shop fast fashion we would realise anything that seems too good to be true, more than likely is. The truth is the fashion industry and those who drive the machine, in my opinion, have totally lost the plot, thinking only of greed and profits instead of making good quality affordable clothing we can fall in love with again, starting an ethical trend as it once was back in the day when I was a girl.

Shopping for second hand fashion is not only exciting but also allows us to discover well made quality clothing produced before this crazy fast fashion phenomenon took hold, helping you to create a unique style with pieces no one else has, the whole point of fashion in my opinion. If you can get over your status anxiety i.e.  when you care more about what others think instead of being a leader and showing others the way, you will soon discover that charity shopping, if you are in the right area,  is the best kept secret on the planet.

My top tips are simple, ALWAYS donate NEVER throw away in the bin. You are great and doing good, if you then buy what others cast off to become new to you, a win win all round. Charity begins at home so clear out your closet to make some space, then take a trip to St Johns Wood High Street, it offers the best charity shops UK wide in this north London suburb for quality of stock, easy access and parking, concentrated in one area and more importantly be proud to show the crowd the amazing designer treasures you find. And why not go the whole hog and start asking the brands you love (who don't disclose where things are made and there are a lot, more don't disclose than do) the question  #Whomademyclothes You might be surprised by the answer.

I just asked one of my favourite stores in LA L'Agence (updated January 2019) with massive celebrity clientele who promote integrity, creativity, respect and accountability in fashion where a leather jacket I was admiring was produced, (it didn't say on the website) to discover that the answer was the PRC (Peoples Republic of China).  And then another favourite Monday Swimwear from Natasha Oakley (updated July 4th, 2019 Happy Independence Day) and the answer was the same, Made in China. If you don't ask you'll never know.